Studio Party
by Tr3ble-Maker
Summary: Sasha throws a secret party in the studio, and Boo and Carl end up getting much closer than they were before!
1. Chapter 1: Prepare for Class

Chapter One:

"Boo! Boo, I asked you a question, like, five years ago." Ginny said loudly, snapping in front of Boo's face.

"Sorry, what?" Boo asked, turning around. _Please don't say she saw who I was looking at._

"I just wanted to know if you have any spare lamb's wool," Ginny asked, tying the ribbons on her left pointe shoe. "I was going to put some over my lovely bruised toenail." She got out her right shoe and flexed the shank in anger. "Damn bar warm-ups," she muttered under her breath.

"Oh, no, my brother dropped my other pair in the toilet," Boo groaned.

Ginny looked up, startled. "Wait, why was he…"

"I don't know," Boo sighed, shaking her head.

Sasha walked in and threw her bag on the chair, angrily opening up her closet.

"Woah, does that mood come with a caution sign?" Ginny asked.

Sasha threw her head back as she took her pointe shoes and legwarmers out. "I'm boooored. This frickin' town is so boring."

Boo turned back to the dressing room window and looked out at the people practicing. "It's not that bad."

Sasha looked more closely at Boo, coming up behind her so she could see where she was looking. Following her line of vision, she saw that Boo was staring at Carl, who was at the barre – and her eyes weren't just lingering there. Boo was clearly staring at Carl.

"Boo!" Sasha said abruptly, startling her. "Enjoying the view?" she asked, smiling slyly. She had caught Boo in the act, and she knew Boo knew it.

Boo put the box of her shoe on the ground, flexing her foot into a pointe while blushing madly. "Shut up, Sasha. You stare at Roman all the time."

Sasha rolled her eyes. "I actually do things with Roman. Unlike you, who just stares at people with googly eyes."

Boo pointed her foot harder in anger. "I do NOT have googly eyes.

Sasha slid her foot past the elastic of her shoe and began wrapping the ribbons around her ankle. "Whatever you say. Here's an idea, take the spot at the barre next to him."

Melanie bounced through the door, her long brunette hair still swaying down her back. "Take the spot at the barre next to who?" She looked at Boo. "Is Boo going off about the elf again?"

"Melanie!" Boo said indignantly. "He's not an elf! Ginny, tell her!"

Ginny looked at Boo sheepishly. "You DO have a few inches on him, Boo."

Boo took her sweatshirt off. "Okay, I am TALLER than him, but not by that much."

"By like four inches!" Melanie scoffed.

The door to the studio swung closed, and Madame Fanny's voice rang through. "Class is starting in five minutes!" Then quieter, "Michelle, get the other barres in place."

Sasha, now in full ballet attire, stood up. "I'm going to plan something this weekend."

Melanie scooped her hair up to start her ballet bun. "Plan what?"

Sasha shrugged, crossing her arms. "I don't know, something. If I spend one more day in this life without something to look forward to, I'll bash my head in with my pointe shoes."

Ginny stood up, going up in releve to stretch out her ankles. "Even if you do plan something, what will we do?"

Sasha sighed and leaned against the door frame. "Something with more people than the four of us. No offense, but it's ALWAYS just us on Saturday nights. Why not have other people? Maybe I'll have a party at my house."

"What about your parents?" asked Boo.

Sasha smiled. "Please, they never do anything but yell at each other. It would be a miracle if they stopped for two seconds to realize there was a party."

Everybody started filing out of the dressing room and downstairs, but Ginny stopped Boo. "You really should stand next to Carl at the barre."

Boo looked back out at Carl nervously. "I don't know."

Ginny smiled and looked out at the studio. "Seriously, you should! You can make small talk during arabesques or something."

Boo looked at the ground. "I have, like, zero extension though. It's not exactly showing off in front of him."

Ginny knew it was true, but she didn't dare say that. "Well, just try. Accidentally bump into him or something."

Boo laughed sarcastically. "Oh yeah, I'll kick him in the head with my pointe shoe. That'll leave a good impression."

Ginny sighed and yanked on Boo's arm. Ignoring her protests, she tugged her down the stairs and into the studio area. The spot beside Carl at the barre was still open. Ginny gestured at it and left Boo to decide whether she would take it.

Boo looked at it apprehensively, then stepped forward.


	2. Chapter 2: Falling for Carl

Chapter 2

"And demi, and up, and demi, and up, and grande plié…"

Madame Fanny was reciting the barre warm-ups, walking around and correcting whatever needed to be corrected. Boo tried her hardest to have perfect form – after all, she was right next to Carl, and being corrected in front of him was her idea of permanent embarrassment.

Madam Fanny got to their side of the room. Boo sucked in her stomach, lowered her shoulders, and looked straight ahead. Luckily, Madame Fanny passed by with a nod. The pit of anxiety relaxed inside Boo's stomach. _Carl must have seen her nod. Does he think I'm the best dancer? Or at least a better dancer than he thought I was yesterday?_

The piano playing stopped as Madame Fanny cut it off, and the students relaxed a bit between the warm-ups. Determined to not look lazy, though, Boo began stretching her arabesque on the barre.

Carl, who was simply leaning against the barre, watched her for a few seconds. Boo saw and started to smile, but before he could see it, he looked away.

_The only way to really impress him is to have a better extension. I'll show him I'm more than just turning and jumping, _Boo thought to herself anxiously. She began stretching her legs to the front in the hopes that it would help.

"Okay, enough resting. Time to do extension warm-ups," Madame Fanny ordered. Everybody rushed back to the barre. Boo thought that Carl glanced at her, but it could have just been her imagination. She looked over at Ginny, who gave her a thumbs up.

"Left leg, go," Boo heard Madame Fanny say.

She raised her leg as high as it would go, which, to her disappointment, was only about a 90 degree angle. Sasha's was so much higher than hers. Even Ginny, who was shorter than her by about four inches, had better extension.

Boo clenched the muscles in her thighs and tried to make it go higher, but there was no such luck. Luckily Carl was facing away from her, so he probably wouldn't see. Boo was facing his back. However, when they turned around to do the other leg, Carl would be facing Boo, able to see every little detail about her form and extension. The thought scared her, and she hoped Madame Fanny would just stay on this leg forever.

Of course, the very next second, Madame Fanny 's voice rang out. "Turn around, next leg."

Boo slowly turned around and adjusted her form first, then slowly raised her leg. It was slightly higher than her other one, but not impressive at all. A ten-year-old probably had the same, if not better, extension. So Boo did the first thing that came to her mind. She did a small kick to get it up higher. Her leg wobbled a little bit, but her extension did climb a little higher, so she tried again, but more forcefully.

And that was when everything fell apart.

Between the burning sensation near her knee during the kick and the fact that her balance was off, she started slipping on the silk of her pointe shoe. She tried gripping the barre, but it was too late, she was falling.

The entire class turned to look as she hit the floor, and she felt the box of her shoe collide with something. The humiliation could be read clearly on her face, but it only escalated when she heard something crash behind her. She turned around to see Carl on the floor as well, clutching his ankle. Boo couldn't put two and two together until she realized that her foot was close to his ankle.

_Oh my God, I kicked Carl with my pointe shoe. I probably killed his ankle! He's never going to speak to me again, and forget about the rest of the class that saw me fall over._

Carl carefully avoided Boo's eyes as her raised his hand. "Madame Fanny, may I go get some ice?"

Fanny nodded and pointed to the boy's dressing room.

Boo watched Carl get up and limp away, while she was still sprawled on the floor.


	3. Chapter 3: Plans Confirmed

Boo ran into the dressing room right after class and started yanking off her pointe shoes, totally humiliated. Carl had to sit out the rest of class with an ice pack to his ankle, and Boo could see it swelling and bruising from her spot at the barre. Of course, she was fine, so Madame Fanny made her go right back to the barre and continue with the class.

Boo heard a loud clapping behind her, slow and sarcastic. She turned around to see Sasha, laughing and doing the clapping.

Ginny came in behind Sasha. "Rub some salt in that wound, why don't you, Sasha."

Sasha smiled and strolled over to the vanity. "Oh I will. Can Boo stay balanced while I rub the salt?"

Boo stared at the ground, fighting the redness in her cheeks. "Shut up, Sasha."

Sasha untied the ribbons on her shoes. "Fine. But keep using that tone with me, and you won't get an invitation to the party," she drawled, dragging out the word party.

Melanie bounded in. "Party? What party?"

Sasha smiled slyly. "I'm going to throw a party in the studio Saturday night."

Ginny turned around in shock. "In the studio? Madame Fanny would skin you alive!"

Sasha shrugged. "Then I lose my skin. At least I'll die happy."

Ginny sighed and got her sweater out of the closet. "So who are you going to invite, if you don't die?"

"Everybody from the studio, Roman, some random kids from school. Maybe Michelle if she's not going through one of her "adult" streaks," Sasha listed.

Boo turned around quickly. "By everybody in the studio, do you mean…everybody?"

Melanie took out her bun. "Including the ice-packed midget?"

"Hey! That wasn't my fault that his ankle was…oh forget it," Boo sighed, throwing her shoes in her bag.

"Yes, the ice packed midget will be invited. Look, I've got to go find something for dinner. But I'll text you all the details later, invite whoever," Sasha said, walking out of the dressing room.

Melanie turned to Boo. "Don't worry about Carl, I'm sure he's not going to hold a grudge. Anyways, I doubt that Sasha can pull off a secret party in the studio. Madame Fanny watches everything like a hawk."

Boo shrugged, looking down. "I should at least say that I'm sorry. He'll probably be holding ice to it for another day at least.

Ginny stood up. "I'm sure it's fine," she reassured. She turned to Melanie. "Is Charlie driving all of us home?"

Melanie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, if he can figure out that P stands for park and R stands for reverse. He crashed into our mailbox last night."

Ginny blushed. Melanie knew she liked Charlie, and so did Boo, but everybody could read Ginny like an open book. Random passerbys probably knew that Ginny liked Charlie from the way she had to stare straight ahead and could barely utter a syllable around him.

Boo stood up. "I'm just going to ask Carl if he's okay, I'll be right there."

Melanie nodded and pulled out her cell phone. "I'll call the idiot and ask where the hell he is."

Boo looked out over the studio from the balcony. Carl was on the piano bench, still holding the ice pack, but it wasn't on his ankle anymore. Boo tiptoed down the stairs and walked over, being careful to stand a good distance away. "Hi!"

Carl looked up, then back down at his ankle. "Oh, hi Boo."

Boo's smile faltered. _He obviously hates me for it. _"Um, I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."

Carl looked up for real this time. "Oh, yeah I'll be fine. No serious damage. Madame Fanny always said that you should dance through the pain." He smiled.

Boo nervously shifted her weight, but was reassured by the fact that he was joking. "Well, I'm still sorry."

Carl shook his head. "No big deal."

They stood there for a while, looking around awkwardly. Then Boo was struck by inspiration. "Sasha might throw a party in the studio."

Carl looked up, interested. "Did Madame Fanny let her?"

Boo couldn't help but smile at the thought that they were having a real conversation. "Not exactly, it's kind of a secret." _Kind of a secret? Well, which one is it? A secret or not? God, Boo, think. _"She's inviting the whole studio, and some people from school. She's texting it out later."

Carl nodded. "Cool, I guess. When.

Boo bounced up nervously. "Saturday night." Then she was hit with a brilliant idea. "If you want to give me your number, I can text you all of the details!"

A sudden honk sounded from the small parking lot. Carl looked over Boo's shoulder. "Uh, actually, my mom is here and she doesn't like to be kept waiting. Can you tell me in the supermarket opening rehearsal tomorrow?"

Boo's stomach dipped as he blew off the number idea. "Uh, yeah, sure."

Carl nodded. "Cool, thanks." And he limped out the door.

Melanie and Ginny bounded up behind Boo. "So is he okay with it?" Melanie asked.

"What? Oh, the ankle. He's fine," she admitted, frowning.

Ginny smiled. "And did he talk about anything else?"

Boo sighed and turned around. "Well, I told him about the party. He said he might go. I offered to exchange numbers so I could text him the details. He left."

"Without getting your number?" Ginny asked cautiously.

Boo nodded.

Ginny looked around awkwardly. "Well, you can tell him in rehearsal tomorrow!"

Melanie shifted her bag. "Totally, but right now we have to go. Charlie's finally outside. Guess he learned how to control the gear shift."

Boo looked out the window at Carl's retreating car. "Yeah, I guess."

**Ohhhhh gosh I love this story! If you haven't noticed, I totally ship Boo and Carl. Anyways, I'll probably finish the next chapter tomorrow, but please review with any plot ideas because I do need a filler chapter in between this chapter and the party chapter! I was thinking a sleepover with Sasha, Melanie, Ginny, and Boo, or maybe another dance class where they spread the word about the party. Anyways, follow me and follow the story, because I already have the ending planned out and it's going to be a HUGE twist!**


	4. Chapter 4: Sleepover

Sasha threw the cheap gas-station bags of popcorn onto Melanie's bed, where Ginny, Boo, and Melanie were already sitting. "Way to get good snacks, Mel."

"Hey, don't look at me! You're the one that called an hour ago and asked me to have all of us sleep over," Melanie said defensively.

Sasha sat on the beanbag in the corner as Ginny moved to sit on the floor leaning against the bed. "Well, I needed some people to help party-plan."

Boo looked up. "So you're definitely doing it, then?"

Sasha smiled victoriously. "Yup, Madame Fanny is luckily going with Michelle to the Oyster Bar to talk about Nutcracker plans on Saturday night from about eight to eleven."

Ginny laughed. "Wait, how do you know all of this?"

"Michelle had a few beers…" Sasha explained.

Melanie flipped over onto her stomach. "So what do you mean, party planning?"

"I mean that we need a list of people to invite, a few snacks that can easily be snuck in and hidden, some music, and an escape plan," Sasha ticked off on her fingers.

"An escape plan?" Melanie asked.

"You know, in case Madame Fanny or Michelle come back. We should make a plan to get everybody and everything out of the studio in a matter of seconds so they don't see us," Sasha explained.

"Okay, think," said Ginny. "There are three doors that lead out to behind the studio, and if we can get out there fast enough, we can just tell everybody to run as fast as possible into the lake area with all of the trees."

"Perfect. All we need is to assign who turns off the music, who takes out the snacks, and who keeps watch!" Sasha exclaimed.

Melanie looked over at Boo, who was staring at the bedspread. "Boo!" She said suddenly, snapping on front of her face. "Were you listening?"

Boo looked around, startled. "What?"

Sasha sighed. "Stop dreaming about Carl and listen to the plans. You're on the first lookout shift."

Boo shifted her weight indignantly. "I wasn't dreaming about him…"

Ginny laughed. "Boo, just try talking to him at the party. It'll be easier in that setting. It's more…social!"

Boo nodded. _Please, no matter what setting I'm in, I only make a fool of myself in front of Carl._

Sasha grabbed a sheet of lined paper from her school binder and started writing everything down. "Okay, so Boo takes the first watch, for about thirty minutes, and then Ginny, and then Melanie, and then Mattise."

Melanie sat up again. "Wait, what about you?"

Sasha laughed and put the paper on Melanie's night-side table. "Please, I'm the mastermind. I'll be inside making sure everybody has a good time. While having a good time."

Ginny grabbed her phone off of the bedside table. "Oh, what a good plan, Mastermind," she said sarcastically.

Sasha passed the paper to Melanie. "Text whoever you can, guys. I'm going to see if there are any better snacks in the cabinet."

Boo looked at the list. Carl's name was on it, obviously, because he went to Paradise Dance Academy, but she was still unprepared for the fact that he was coming. He would be there, she would be there, and she was determined not to be awkward or weird or whatever he thought she was.

_I'll tell him in rehearsal tomorrow. I will. And if he comes, he comes, but if he doesn't…he'll come. I'm sure he'll come._

And she started to text everybody all of the details.

**Posted this a little sooner than I thought I would! Anyways, GAAAAAH I'm so excited for you guys to read the parts about the party! It'll be good, I promise. Anyways, at the pace I'm writing, I'll probably finish this in the next 2 or 3 days. If not, definitely within a week! Tell me what you thought in that box down there and get psyched for the next chapter! Follow me and the story!**


	5. Chapter 5: Getting Ready

Boo, Melanie, and Ginny stood in front of Sasha's big mirror, smoothing out the final details of their outfits for the party. Sasha was down the hall trying to find her mascara in the drawers of her bathroom, which everybody knew was an overflowing mess of whatever Sasha kept in there. For once, Sasha's parents weren't screaming their heads off downstairs because Sasha's mom was at a meeting and Sasha's dad was out doing something. Sasha hadn't specified.

Melanie snatched one of Sasha's lip glosses and put it on quickly, knowing how dramatic Sasha got about sharing stuff like that.

"Do I look okay?" Boo asked for the millionth time.

For the millionth time, Ginny quickly looked her top to bottom. She was just wearing jeans, a white cami, and a white lace long-sleeved shirt. "Yes, Boo, you look fine."

Boo wrung her hands nervously and did releves. "I know, but…do I look…" _Pretty. Beautiful. Like somebody that Carl will want to date. _"…okay?"

Ginny put down the perfume she was holding and faced Boo. "Boo, stop stressing about Carl. You look really good, okay? And if Carl doesn't realize that, then who cares."

As Ginny turned back to discussing whatever girly makeup crap she had on with Melanie, Boo mulled over Ginny's response. _But what if he actually doesn't realize it? What if I try to say hi to him and he just walks away or tells me to leave him alone? I know deep down that he'll be nice whether he likes me or not, but…what if this is the only exception?_

"Boo, I can practically FEEL you freaking out," Melanie remarked.

_Easy for you to say, with the thinness and the tallness and the adorable red sweater and the perfect hair, _Boo thought angrily. She picked up a random thing off the vanity – blue eyeshadow, why, Ginny? Just why? – and pretended to examine it.

Sasha stomped in through the door, startling everybody. "I can't find it."

Melanie turned around, holding a can of hairspray. "Can't find what?"

Sasha rolled her eyes. "My mascara, idiot, I can't find my mascara."

"Chill, just use mine!" Ginny offered.

Sasha practically shook at the thought. "Ugh, no, it's been near your eyes."

"So?"

"Your eyes are not my eyes, and I don't want some eye disease." Sasha clarified.

Ginny turned around haughtily – probably because Sasha basically said that she had an eye disease – and put the mascara back in her bag.

Sasha, however, continued stomping. "If Roman sees me looking like this, he'll never talk to me again."

Boo didn't see the problem. Dark jeans, leather boots, purple shirt, and her coal-black hair down. What did she mean, looking like "this"? What was "this"? It sounded like a bad thing, but Sasha looked like she always did, which was how Roman saw her. So again, what was the problem.

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We should get to the dance studio before everybody else does, that way we can guide them and go over the plan."

Melanie and Ginny grabbed their bags and went out, but Boo took her time getting her things together and looking in the mirror one last time.

Sasha watched Boo for a minute, then came up behind her in the mirror. "Look Boo, I know you won't believe me, but you look really pretty. And I think that Carl likes you, he's just too afraid to show it. You just have to show him, and he'll show it a little more."

Boo turned around, surprised. Sasha was never really genuine, and if she was, there was a sarcastic quip at the end. But Sasha really was paying her a compliment. If Sasha's walls went down, you knew she was being sincere.

"Thanks," Boo said quietly, smiling.

Sasha broke out of the moment. "Now, let's go before we turn 20 and are too old to enjoy our youth," she joked. She strolled out the door.

Boo followed , beaming, not looking in the mirror again before they left.


	6. Chapter 6: Run

**Sorry I haven't updated this story in a while! I was working on my Les Mis fanfic for a while and forgot about this one. If you ever really want me to update something, just post a review asking me to and I'll do the best I can! (Yes that was a technique to get more reviews. No shame.)**

Boo stopped Ray-Ray and Matisse, who were coming into the party.

"Hey, guys. If we get caught, the person on guard will tell everybody and we'll go out the back doors and run out to the lake. We have people to take the food and music. Just be sure to be quiet enough to hear if somebody gives the signal." She explained.

They nodded and went inside, and Melanie came out and swerved around them. "Hey, Boo, I have the next watch. And for whatever reason, the Ginger Rodgers and Fred Astaire dance song is on."

Boo's heart leapt. "The dance I have with Carl."

Melanie looked over her shoulder. "Yeah, who knows who put it on." Then she leaned down and whispered in Boo's ear. "You're welcome."

Boo grinned at her and ran in. She looked over the crowd of people that were all comically mimicking the dance. Sasha and Roman were in the corner chatting, and Sasha was holding a brown bottle. _Great, _Boo thought, _only Sasha would think to pull a stunt like bringing beer in._

Then she found Carl at the exact same time Carl found her. "Hey," they both said.

"Sorry, you go first," Boo said quickly.

Carl laughed. "Just saying hey."

"Oh," Boo laughed, smiling. "Hey."

They looked around at the people dancing awkwardly.

"They're not doing our dance any justice," Boo said cautiously.

Carl sighed, but smiled. "Boo, I don't even do our dance justice."

Boo looked at him, surprised. "That's not true."

Carl looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "Please, Boo, it's a miracle you're not on crutches."

Boo looked down at her shoes. "I'm the one that killed your ankle."

Carl waved his hand. "Forget that, it doesn't hurt at all. And I'm probably quitting ballet last year."

Boo's mind raced a million miles a minute as she turned to Carl. "What?"

_You can't quit. I'll never see you again, and even if I was going to make move, which we all know I'll never do, I would never be able to make it. If I'll ever be able to say anything to you. But maybe I'll get better at it…_

"I'm gonna go get something to drink. Do you want anything?" Carl asked.

Boo jerked out of her trance, and shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

Melanie crashed through the door behind her. "Boo! Spread the word. Fanny is back!"

Thoughts of Carl leaving ballet left her mind. "What?"

Melanie nodded frantically. "And she's coming to the studio."

"It's only been an hour!" Boo whispered.

Melanie shrugged. "Well, she's here now." Then she stood up on a chair. "FANNY'S BACK!"

Everybody looked at her for a split second, then burst into action. Sasha and Ginny started piling the food and shoving it behind chairs, and Melanie switched off the music. People frantically ran out the back doors and bolted for the lake.

Boo stood for a minute, unsure of what to do. Then she saw Carl being ushered out the door and blindly stumbled after him.

The students ran as far as they could, everybody staying as silent as possible.

Boo, for whatever reason, was terrified of what would happen if Madame Fanny found her at a party with beer, in her studio none the less. She ran as fast as possible, occasionally whipping her head from side to side. She didn't see anybody else, but they were sure to be behind her.

When her legs started to burn, she slowed to a jog. _The lake must be farther away, _she decided, looking at her surroundings.

Then something snared her ankle, and she went down on the cold, damp earth. Hard. Letting out a cry of pain, she brushed dirt off of her face and clothes.

"Boo!?" came a shocked voice.

Boo turned around in her sprawled position. "Carl?!"

Carl sat up from where he was laying on the earth. "I'm so sorry, I think I tripped you!"

Boo scrambled up, brushing the dirt off her shirt. Of course, it was useless. "Oh yeah, um, it's fine."

But Carl was looking at her cheek. "Did you land on something? Your face is scratched."

Boo's hand flew to her cheek. "How badly?"

Carl examined it closer. "It's not so deep, but we should clean it when we get to the lake. Speaking of which, we should go. It should be a few yards that way," he said, pointing into the trees.

Boo touched her cheek gingerly and stood up, following Carl into the thicket.

"Carl, we've been walking for a while now. Are you sure this is the way to the lake?"

Boo was limping along behind Carl, checking her cheekbone every so often.

"Um," Carl said sheepishly, "I actually don't."

Boo masked her fear at those words. "So we don't know where we are."

Carl didn't bother to answer.

**The next chapter will be posted as soon as I possibly can, but who knows when that is, so I made this one slightly longer! Review with your…well…reviews…**


	7. Chapter 7: Under the Tree and In the Fog

**After I post this chapter, I'm going to work on That Little Fall Of Rain for a while, so don't be freaked out if I don't update this! After a few Les Mis chapters I'll get back to it.**

"Hey! Anybody?" Carl yelled.

Boo had sat down long ago, giving up that anybody was off course. "Carl, we can find our way back here later."

Carl sat down next to her, fiddling with his shirt. Boo got startled at the sound of ripping fabric. She watched him forcefully tear off a strip of fabric and fold it into a square. "Here," he said, giving it to her. "Hold this to your cheek."

Boo couldn't stop herself from blushing, which probably wasn't good for the blood. She held it to her face and turned to Carl seriously. "So, why are you quitting ballet?"

Carl shifted. "I'm not as good as any of the other guys. They're all taller and stronger. It's a miracle I even got this role in the dance."

Boo smiled. "I think you're good."

Carl laughed, and they sat in silence for a few seconds before he leapt up. "Okay, then dance with me."

Boo looked around at the wet earth and the blanket of fog swirling at the ground. It was pretty romantic, but that couldn't be what Carl was thinking. "Here?"

He nodded. "Here."

She left the strip of fabric on the ground and stood up nervously, taking his hand. He immediately pulled her into the double pirouette that started the dance, and she laughed, following the steps perfectly.

_How does he not see how great he is? _Then she thought bitterly, _Then again, he can barely see that I like him._

Then she caught Carl's gaze, inches from hers, and they stopped the dance entirely and looked at each other, frozen. Boo's foot was still pointed to the side, as if they were on a TV show and somebody had simply paused it.

_This is impossible. He doesn't like me. I like him. That's how crushes work. I like him and he is oblivious. That's how it's always been, _Boo thought quickly.

Carl stopped entirely and slid his hands down Boo's arms. "Boo, um, maybe this is the wrong time to tell you this…"

Boo stopped him. "No. I'm going to do this. Now."

Carl looked around, confused. His hands were still on her arms.

Boo began to pace the small clearing they were in, the fog still swirling at the ground. She looked down at it, realizing just how dirty she had gotten from falling. She couldn't see her face, but it was probably not in the best condition with the scrape. The thought of doing this now, looking like this, all alone like this, scared the crap out of her. But she turned around.

"Remember the first rehearsal we had for the Ginger and Fred dance?" she asked suddenly. "When you said the thing about the celery tonic and remembering what I was wearing?"

"Pink shoes." Carl answered. "Yeah, I remember."

Was he blushing?

Boo shook her head of the thought and took a step forward. "Well, after that, I don't know why…but I started to really look forward to the rehearsals."

Carl shrugged. "Me too, they're fun."

Boo stepped slightly closer, still shaking at the thought of what she was trying to get across. "No, not like that. I started to look forward to the dancing…and seeing…you. And maybe it's just me thinking this, but…"

She trailed off as he took a step forward. "What are you trying to say?"

There was only a few inches of space separating them.

Boo started to stammer over her words. "I…I think I'm…I mean…"

Carl suddenly reached for her hand and lead her over to where they were sitting before, in front of the tree, and pulled her down. "Boo, I think we're trying to say the same thing."

Boo looked up through her eyelashes, but was still reeling at his hand in hers. "What are you trying to say?"

Now it was Carl's turn to stutter. "That…I mean…"

"I like you, Carl." Boo blurted out.

He looked up like he couldn't quite believe it.

"I like you." He answered.

They sat under the tree, inches between them, hands clasped in each other's, wondering what would happen next.

"So what do we do now?" Boo asked quietly.

Carl inhaled deeply, then suddenly crashed his lip's to Boo's.

She at first was caught by total surprise, but then melted into him. It was better than her dreams of the moment that she had planned out in her head during the night – so much better. Boo wrapped her hands around Carl's neck and kissed him back.

They didn't count how many minutes they spent like that, but eventually they pulled away and looked into each other's eyes.

"So are we together now?" Carl asked.

Boo thought about it. _It's only what I've dreamed of my entire life, but do I really want the crush feeling to go away? What's it like to actually be with someone this seriously. But I do like him…no, more than that. I love him. Carl, I love you. I…_

"Love you," she accidentally said out loud.

Carl looked up. "Huh?"

Boo looked at him. "I love you."

Then she smiled back at him and pressed her lips against hers.

**All you Boo/Carl fans are probably staring at your screen saying "YES! YES YES YES!" I know I am, at least, and I'm writing it. I have a snow day tomorrow so I might work on another chapter for this, or maybe sometime over the weekend! I'll also be updating That Little Fall of Rain soon, probably right after I post this chapter, so check that out if you like Les Mis! Review this chapter please!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Dressing Room

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Boo nearly screamed and pulled away from Carl. They both stood up and stood a good three feet away from each other, brushing themselves off.

Boo looked up to see that the voice belonged to Sasha, and she was flanked by Melanie and Ginny, who was rummaging in her wallet.

Sasha heard the crinkling and turned around, looking at Ginny. "What the hell are you doing?"

Ginny pulled out five dollars. "I lost the bet," she said, handing it to Melanie, who smiled and stuffed it in her pocket.

"Bet?" Sasha asked.

Melanie gestured with her finger at the space between Boo and Carl and raised her eyebrows.

"Ohh," Sasha said, dragging it out far too long. She turned back to Boo and Carl, who were blushing madly. "So, the coast is clear. Fanny just needed her coat. Everybody's going back."

"Great. Fine. Thanks. Okay. Great." Boo mumbled quickly. She and Carl turned to go, but Melanie reached out and grabbed both of them by the shoulders.

"Oh, no you don't. You stand right there and try to keep your hands off each other for a little while." Melanie said, dragging them back to the tree.

Boo jete'd the ground, flexing her foot into a pointe.

Ginny looked up. "How long has this been going on?"

Carl checked his watch. "Ten minutes."

Ginny nodded, surprised. "You people move pretty fast."

Sasha stepped forward. "So, dearest Boo," she said, wrapping an arm around Boo's shoulder playfully. "I'm surprised you're still alive." She gestured at Carl. "You never came up for oxygen."

Boo threw Sasha's arm off her shoulder. "We got sidetracked coming to the lake."

Melanie stifled her laughter. "You, my child, got verrrrry sidetracked."

Ginny looked at Melanie and Sasha warningly. "Well, we'd best be going," she ordered, pushing Sasha and Melanie, who were still laughing, away. "The studio is this way," she said, pointing into the forest. "Come back…whenever."

She continued to push the two hysterical girls into the woods.

Boo looked up at Carl awkwardly, and he stared back.

"My friends are idiots," Boo whispered, smiling.

Carl laughed. "Well, we did get pretty sidetracked."

Boo looked at the ground, radiating happiness. "We should probably go back to the party, or they might come after us again," she suggested.

Carl surprisingly took her hand, and she felt a shiver run through her body. "Yeah, sure, let's go." They started walking in the direction Ginny had told them to go.

After a while of silence, Carl turned to her. "So where should our first date be?"

Boo looked at him and smiled. "Can we plan it later?" She swung the hand that he was holding. "I really just want this night to last for a while."

Carl swung his hand back and forth too. "I have no problem with that!"

He used the swinging hand to spin her into another pirouette, and she managed a triple on the damp earth, laughing. They walked back to the studio like that: random partnering moves through the length of the forest.

When the trees broke into the land behind the dance studio, Carl spun her out, and they ended with the traditional curtsey and bow, laughing.

They were almost at the door when Carl stopped and looked at the second floor.

Boo turned around, her hand on the door's handle. "What's wrong?"

Carl looked back at her and smiled mischievously. "You said you want this night to last for a while?"

Boo got curious. "Yessss…" she admitted, dragging out the word.

Carl suddenly grabbed her hand and lead her up the stairs to the girl's dressing room. Boo wasn't expecting it, and stumbled over the first few steps. "Carl, what are you doing?"

He opened the door to the girl's dressing room and dragged her inside. The room looked the same as it had that afternoon: random articles of clothing everywhere, extra ribbons and elastic in the basket by the door in case anyone needed it, lamb's wool and gel pads everywhere. Carl pushed a pair of legwarmers and a warmup sweater that Boo recognized as Ginny's off an ottoman-like chair and sat down. He then pulled another over that was miraculously untouched and gestured for Boo to sit down in it.

She walked over, suspicious. "What are you doing?" she asked again.

He looked at her with a hint of playfulness in his eyes, then looked at the windows in the wall that looked down onto the party below. "We should move these farther back," he noted, dragging his chair away from the window.

Boo stood from her chair, but crossed her arms. "Not until you tell me what we're doing!" she protested.

Carl, seeing that she wasn't moving, grabbed her chair and moved it back next to his. Boo reluctantly sat down in it and put her elbows on her knees. "NOW will you tell me?"

Carl entwined his fingers in hers. "You said you wanted it to last."

Boo blushed. "I do."

Suddenly, she knew exactly what Carl was doing as he leaned in. She adjusted her position so that they were as close as possible, and parted her lips slightly when Carl's met them.

His hands started around her waist, but worked their way up to her breasts. He reached inside her shirt and unhooked her bra as she unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt, the fabric frayed where he had ripped it off for her cheek.

_What if this doesn't work? _ She thought as she let her hands explore his chest. _What if I come to dance tomorrow and he's forgotten everything, or changed his mind?_

Carl pulled away for a millisecond, long enough to say, "I love you."

Before Boo could say it back, he placed his lips back on hers.

_Never mind, _Boo told herself, and she pulled him closer.

**Aaaaaaaand now we get into the hot makeout sesh. Just kidding…kind of…not really, no. The next chapter I write will be the last one, most likely, but I probably won't get to it for a few days! Keep up those reviews and I'll try to get to it sooner!**


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